Buttonhole-stitching machine.



l. KIEWICZ. BUTTONHOLE STITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATICIN FILED AUG'26, I915.

Patented June 27,1916.

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J. KIEWICZ. BUTTONHOLE STITCHING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED AUG.26, i915.

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J. KIEWICZ.

BUTTONHOLE STITCHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.26,1915.

Patented June 27, 1916 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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OHN KIEWICZ, F HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN 'OR 'lO THE REECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE MAINE.

Original application filed'March 26, 1914,

Park, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, ive invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttonhole- Stitching Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates tobuttonhole stitching machines, particularly'of that type First will be wherein a frame carrying thestitch forming mechanismon the one hand and a work sup port or clamp on the other hand are relatively movable, so as to enable the stitching to be carried along the-sides of the buttonhole and around its end or ends.

The general object of the present invention is by reorganization of structure and mode of operation to generally improve the run-- ning qualities and efficiency of buttonhole stitching machines and to permit increase of speed of operation without introducing objectionabl'e shock,-vibration or noise- Other objects hereof will be made apparent during the hereinafter following description of the nature ofthe'invention.

Thisap plication is a division'of my. prior application Serial No. 827,276, filed March a v stretched to spread the b uttonhole slit. At

26th, 1914.. v

described one formin which the present improvements may be carried out and afterwardv the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

I Inthe accompanying three sheets of drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a left elevation of a buttonhole stitching machine with its base and legs-omitted, embodying the present invention. In this and the'other' figures the parts are shown in that stage of operation wherethe work clamp has automatically opened, but before the same has shifted completely rearwardly to cuttingposition. Fig. 2 shows at the-left in top view .and at the right .in rear View the type of .buttonhole adapted-to be made on the specifically illustrated machine hereof; Fig. 3

is a bottom plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. ,The side nearest the observer in this figure will be referred toas the right-hand side of the machine. Figf is a left elevation partly in section of the cutter, anvil and under-stitching mechanism,

COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or f BUTTONT'IOLE-STITCHING MACHINE.

the latter being shown shifted for conven-, lence to a positlon facing the observer. Fig. 5 1s a'plan view. of the under stitching mechanlsrn and certain other parts beneath the table:

. Th' invention is shown applied to a species of machine in which, briefly stated, the operation may be substantially as follows:

In the initial position the work clamp is,

open, the cutter and anvil are retracted and both needles are out of the work. ator positions the work beneath the clamp and presses the hand lever for starting the mechanism. This operation throws into action the primary or what may betermed the quick 'feed clutch, in a manner similar to the action described in prior Patent No. 1,030,589. This quickly rotates the feed shaft which,fthrough the main cam, effects firstthe closing of the clamp upon the work,

i where it becomes locked, the forward swingingof the anvil and the operation of the cutter tocut the buttonhole, the separation three-fourths inch) of the clamp plate or .work support from cutting position to the position where stitching commences, during which forward movement the work is The oper-' Specification of Letterslatent. Patented Julie 27, 1916."

Serial No. 827,276. Divided and this application filed August 26, V 1915. Serial u 47,405.

and retraction ofthe cutter and anvil, fol- .lowed by a quick forward movement (6. g.

stitching clutch and shaft into action. The

stitch shaft, while operating the needles,-also effects through the feed shaft and main cam a slow step-by-step feed of the work. During the feed movement around the buttonholethe clamp moves forwardly along one edge and back along the'other edge of the buttonhole." At the ends the clamp has a lateral movement and during such lateral movement the entire stitching mechanism revolves about its vertical axis so that the stitches are properly laid around themargin of the buttonhole slit, as seen in Fig. 2. At the completion of the stitching, the main cam automatically operates the stitch clutch 'to stop the shaft, and thereupon the quick feed clutch is again thrown into action by the shipper lever to shift the clamp plate quickly 'rearwardly to initial or cutting position. At the beginning of this quick rear- ,Ward movement the clamp is automatically the upper needle fittings.

sprung permittingthe removal of the '10 beginning, ready for the re-positioning of the work and the operation of the hand lever, which has meanwhilesprung upward.

Referringspecifically to the different ele- -ments of the illustrated structure, the bed plate '20 may be swingingly attached to a base 21 indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The bed plate supports the head 22, which, by its foot 23, is secured fast to the bed plate,

and has an overhanging arm 24 supporting Beneath the bed plate 20 is a cam casing 25 inclosing the large circular main cam 26. This main cam affords the general control ofthe machine, and itself is adapted to rotate first 25 rapidly,-then slowly, then rapidly, during with the cutteroperating cam 265*. One of.

the cam surfaces at the underside of the disk near its periphery is the cam 26 which effects the closing of the work clamp upon the work, and also serves to swing the anvil to operative position beneath the cutter.

Generally this main carn 2 6 is a Well-known ported at the extremity of the anvil arm 87 element in this type of machine, but its different portions efiect novel operations, as; I

able, rendering the anvil capable of advanc will hereinafter appear. Another important member of the operating mechanism is the so-called shipper lever 28, correspond ing generally with the three-armed lever a of said prior patent. The shipper lever does not particularly-concern the present invention, and will be further referred to only incidentally.

The work clamping mechanism shown at the forward upper side of the bed plate will not be described in detail. It includes a clamp plate'30, and above it a pair of clamp members32, 32. These are carried by a clamp operatingmechanism, whichis described in detail in my aforesaidprior application. One of the controlling parts of this mechanism is the rock shaft 40, which'is adapted to be swung for the purpose of 6 closing the clamp plates, which thereupon 'become locked. The oscillation of the rock shaft is effected through a forwardly extending arm 43 thereon, which may be pulled downwardly at the proper time from the 6 main cam, in order to close the clamp upon faces for the various purposes of the mathe work. VVhen the clamp is closed, it is automatically locked by pivoted lock 45. The rock shaft 40 may also be swung by means of a hand lever 44. For the automatic closing of the clampy the lever 43 upon the rock shaft 40 has an offset crank-like portion, cooperating with which is a hook 47 whose shank extends downwardly' to, where at its lower end it is pivoted to the forward end of the clamp-closing cam lever 48 (Fig. 1). A spring 49 tends to hold the hook 47 forwardly in the position shown, while a spring 50 tends to sustain the forward end of the cam lever 48 against the tendency of the cam 26, acting upon the roller 51 car-i ried by the lever 48, to depress the latter.

By the described arrangement the action of the clamp closing cam is to depress the -cam lever,'thereby pullingdown the hook clamp, which becomes locked by the device,

45, until released by other means.

1 The various connections. for releasing the clamp, for moving it between the cutting andstitching positions, and for feeding it during the stitching, need not bev described.

We come now to the cutter and anvil devices, more particularly involved in the present invention. The cutter is at the for- "ward end of an arm 81 (see Fig. 1) fulcrumed near its middle and having a contact tongue 82 at its rear extremity resting upon the cam groove 26 near the center of the upper side of the main cam whereby the cant effects the cutter operations in opposition to a suitable spring. Opposed to the cutter, below the clamp plate,'is the anvil '86 consisting of a removable piece sup- (see Figs. 1 and4). The anvil arm is shifting to cutting position and, after cutting,- withdrawing to the position shown in full lines'in Fig. 4. The anvil arm is a solid member capable of receiving a heavy blow by the cutter and is so shaped in the irregular manner shown as to permit the' ,recess accommodating portions of the under stitching mechanism while the latter is idle and the anvil is operative. In this effective way the cutting position is enabled to be located in close proximity to the stitching position so that the amount of quick feed between cutting and stitching positions is materially reduced, not only obviating the mechanical disadvantages of a more extensive jump of the work carried in the clamp plate, but causing a substantial saving of time, at the same time securing simplicity,

solidity and effectiveness of mechanism and operation. The described arrangement secures the advantages that would be had by a fixed anvil on the clamp plate, but obviates the very.practical disadvantage that such fixed anvil would necessarily be too light and therefore incapable of performing its work.

Hereinafter another advantage inthe de' scribed arrangement will appear in that the withdrawal of the anvil during stitching permits the under stitching mechanism to be designed, as shown, with a curved under needle oscillating about a simple pivot '10; cated substantially as high as the clamp plate permits. Without the-withdrawal of the anvil, as is clear in Fig. 4:, there would.

be conflict between the anvil and the under needle pivot upon bodily rotating the-under mechanism, as is necessary. The movement of the anvil and carrier may be effected through an extension 93 formed on the clamp closing'cam lever 48, so that the movement of the lever to close the clamp simultaneously shifts "the anvil into position beneath the descending' cutter. As seen in Fig; 1, the extension 93 is held up by a springgfit extending downwardly from the cam lever 48. The cam lever 48 is caused to descend a considerable distance in closing the'clamp, and in such descent it carries the extension 93 with it, the extension thereby' striking the contact arm 95, which, being depressed,

rocks the shaft 96 so as to swing forwardly the rocker arm 97, which, as indicated in dotted lines in Eig. 4, presses the anvil carrier into operating position.

Some further general parts of the mechanism may now be conveniently referred to. A starting lever 100 is properly connected,

so that when depressed by the finger, it.

effects the commencement of operations by the throwing in of the clutch. The stitching mechanism comprises a curved under needle 123 and a straight upper needle 125, supported on a vertically reciprocating carrier 124. The under stltchmg echanlsm is carried upon a stock 126, which oscillates about a vertical axis. This has a bearingring 127 at 1ts upper part, and a bearmg 128 at its lower part engaged by a surrounding bearing 130. The oscillation of the under stitche ing mechanism is accompanied by an oscillation of the upper needle carrier by means of upper and lower. pinions 131 engaged by upper and lower segment rocks 132, both of which are carried on a vertical shaft 133. This shaft has a rock arm 134 donnected by a link 135, w th a cam lever 136, which is swung by the main cam. Carried by the stock 126 is a throat plate 144:. '-Co6perating no limitation to such features is intended excepting so far as set forth in the appended claims.

What is-claimed is: '1.- A buttonhole stitching machine including in combination a'work clamp, an under stitching mechanism beneath the clamp, a

buttonhole cutter above the clamp fitted to descend and rise, a cutter anvil, comprising a heavy rigid solidly mounted arm, having a neath the clamp in line with the cutting movement, the same arranged to swing about said pivot relatively to the under stitching mechanism to and from cutting position, and connections for automatically actuating the anvil and cutter dissimnltaneously with operated lever adapted to both close the 'the stitching.

2. A buttonhole stitching machine including in combination a. frame, stitching mechanism carried by said frame, a work clamp, means to lock the clamp when closed, a cut ter above the clamp fitted to descend and rise, and a shiftable anvil beneath the clamp fitted andactuated to automaticallyadvance to cutting position before the cuttcrs .operationand to resume retracted position after cutting and before stitching. and a cam- "clamp and actuate said anvil.

3. A buttonhole stitching machine including: in combination a work clamp, an under stitching mechanism beneath the clamp, a buttonhole cutterabove the clamp fitted to descend and rise, a cutter anvil comprising a rigid arm shaped with a recess to embrace the under stitching mechan-ism' during cuttingand having a stationary pivot a substantial distance beneath the clamp in line with the cutting movement. the same ar ranged to swing about said pivot relatively to the under stitching mechanism to and from cutting position. and connections for automatically actuating the anvil and cutter dissimultaneonsly with the stitching;

4. A buttonhole stitching machine including in combination a work clamp. an under stitching -mechanism -beneath the clamp.

adapted to bodily rotate during stitching about a vertical axis and comprising a nee dle fitted by a simple elevated pivot'to swing above-and below the work. a buttonhole cut ter above the clamp fitted to descend and stationary pivot a substantial distance berise, a cutter anvil comprising a heavy solidly mounted arm. shaped with a recess to embrace the under stitching mechanism during cutting and having a pivot a substantial distance beneath the clamp in line with the cutting movement, the same arranged to swing about said pivot relatively to the under stitching mechanism to and from cutting position, and connections for automatically actuating the anvil and cutter 'dis- 1 simultaneously with the stitching. In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

, JOHN K IEWICZ Witnesses:

HJL. SWEENEY, T. J. CARTY. 

